Javier Mendez has claimed that a major weakness in Paul Hughes is his ground game, with Usman Nurmagomedov's coach highlighting it as a key flaw for his man's rival.
Hughes is set to challenge the Bellator lightweight champion on Saturday night, live in a number of regions on DAZN, in what will be his first tilt at a major MMA title.
The Irishman will arrive in Dubai full of confidence after a victory over AJ McKee in October which saw him dominate the veteran throughout the three-round contest.
However, Nurmagomedov will be a step up compared to McKee.
The 26-year-old has cemented himself as one of the best operators in his weight class and is undefeated in his 18 fights inside the cage.
Mendez, who will be part of Nurmagomedov's coaching team, had plenty of praise for his fighter's next opponent when it comes to his mentality, but he believes there is a glaring weakness from Hughes which could be vital in the outcome of the fight.
"Paul Hughes doesn't have a good ground game. He's okay," Mendez told DAZN News.
"But where he is not average is his attitude. His attitude is a champion's attitude. He has a champion attitude so he can make things work because he believes he can and he has done it because of his belief in himself.
"He strongly believes in who he is and what he can do and his confidence level is super high, therefore he's going to maximize his abilities.
"He's very talented, but he's not at the level where I feel Usman is at right now."
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